Nokia's Damian Dinning goes in-depth on phase two of PureView for the Lumia 920 (video)

Nokia's imaging chief Damian Dinning has released a paper explaining the "second phase" of PureView technology that's included in the new Lumia 920. Charged with improving low-light photography and eliminating camera shake, the experimental 808 handset was developed with a 41-megapixel sensor that oversampled images down to 5-megapixels. However, such equipment is bulky and expensive, so it changed tack for its second crack at the whip, which you can find out about if you join us after the break.

Reiterating the point that (emphasis his) "It's not about the NUMBER of pixels but HOW YOU USE THEM," the company limited its pictures to 8.7-megapixels, and rather than use pixel oversampling, developed custom optics, increased the aperture size to f/2.0 and paired it with a backside-illuminated CMOS and a high pulse power LED. The above image is taken with the new technology, while below, there's a comparison shot taken by a "leading competitor," which Stephen Elop let slip was the Samsung Galaxy S III.

In order to reduce shake, the company customized Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), which detects a camera's movement with a built-in gyroscope, compensating accordingly. With PureView, the entire optical assembly is moved mechanically to maintain parity with what you're shooting, which it claims is 50 percent more effective in reducing shake. We've also got a video which compares OIS and non-OIS shot video, which also reveals that the Unsafe Cyclist teaser was shot using Finland's latest flagship.